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Saturday, May 17, 1997

Most Texans oppose human cloning research

By MEREDITH RAINE / Harte-Hanks Texas Poll

Seventy-two percent of Texans oppose scientific research into human cloning, and 53 percent favor legislation to prohibit such activity, according to The Harte-Hanks Texas Poll.

The debate over cloning was renewed in February when a Scottish scientist announced that he had successfully cloned an adult sheep named Dolly.

Fifty-four percent of Texans are opposed to animal cloning research. And only 8 percent of Texans would clone themselves. Even fewer, 6 percent, would replicate their children if it were possible.

The idea of cloning seems to frighten the public, said Dr. Peter O'Connell, a human geneticist and professor of pathology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

So it is not surprising, O'Connell said, that most Texans oppose research into cloning humans and only 40 percent favor further animal cloning studies.

"People tend to fear what they do not understand - and cloning can be a confusing issue," O'Connell said. "Cloning is basically an asexual means of reproduction.

"The general public regards this as an unnatural form of reproduction, and they're right," he said. "It is unnatural."

O'Connell likened the complexity of animal cloning to in vitro fertilization, a costly method of human fertilization outside the body.

"Right now, I don't think it's practical, and it takes away the advantage of using genetic approaches like selective breeding that have worked for 10,000 years to improve animal stocks," O'Connell said. "Selective breeding is probably not going to be replaced by cloning.

That goes for humans, too, O'Connell said.

"With humans, they pretty much select mates for breeding on their own, and I think they've been doing a reasonably good job so far," he said. "I think there are much easier ways than cloning to generate more Texans." Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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